According to Government regulations, a sign permit from the Department of Buildings is generally required to place a sign on a piece of land, a building, a structure or a place of business in the City of Chicago.
Since 2016, a coalition of sign industry members have been rallying for faster approval amidst concerns that the time taken to actually gain access to signage for a new business can negatively impact that company from the get-go.
This highlights the importance of signage in letting local communities know a new business has arrived, and the strong marketing role they play.
Making up the coalition is the International Sign Association (ISA), the Illinois Sign Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) and local chambers of commerce.
I heard about the regulatory mess that businesses of all sizes face in merely getting signage. I want the business community to know that we heard you and we are fixing this problem today”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has put forward a proposal for an improved business environment following several years of sign, graphics and visual communications industry advocacy from a coalition of industry members.
Having been elected earlier this year, Lightfoot recently delivered her first budget address which showed a willingness to tackle the issue of what the ISA describes as a “business-killing process” for signage applications.
In the speech, she says: “Another proposal about which I am particularly proud is fast-tracking the time it takes new businesses to get approval for their signs down from as much as eight months or longer, to the day they get their business license – so their whole community knows on day one that they are open for business.
A coalition of industry members have been rallying for this change over concerns of the impact these regulations have on businesses
“I heard about the regulatory mess that businesses of all sizes face in merely getting signage. I want the business community to know that we heard you and we are fixing this problem today.”
David Hickey, ISA vice president of advocacy adds: “Mayor Lightfoot’s commitment to improving the sign approval process in Chicago is a major victory for the sign, graphic and visual communications industry and could create a ripple effect that will impact communities throughout the country.
“We thank Mayor Lightfoot for her swift attention to improving the sign permitting process in Chicago.”
If you have any news, please email carys@linkpublishing.co.uk or join in with the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn.